Dottie Ardina, one of the two representatives for the Philippine Women’s National Golf Team at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, broke her silence regarding the much-publicized uniform crisis that the team endured during the prestigious event.
Ardina took to social media to clarify the situation after a video posted by her mother went viral, drawing attention to the challenges she and Bianca Pagdananan faced.
Ardina began by expressing her gratitude to everyone who supported the team, despite falling short of a medal.
She emphasized the immense pride she felt representing the Philippine flag on such a grand stage, but she could not ignore the series of unfortunate events that marred their Olympic experience.
The root of the controversy stems from the late arrival of the official uniforms.
According to Ardina, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) had assured her that the competition gear would arrive in Paris by July 31, just days before the golf tournament began on August 7.
However, when the team arrived in Paris on August 2, the uniforms were still nowhere to be found.
The situation became more dire when the team was reprimanded by International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials on August 4 for not wearing their official uniforms during registration.
It was only later that day that the uniforms finally arrived, but to Ardina’s dismay, they consisted only of tracksuits, with no competition shirts in sight.
This forced Ardina and Pagdanganan to make do with plain shirts they had brought from home, hoping for the best in what was already a high-pressure environment.
“Ang final tournament list po sa Olympic golf ay na release ng June 25. Pero ipinadala po sa akin ng POC ng June 13 ang uniform size forms para sagutan,” Ardina explained, noting that the timeline given by the POC was already tight.
By the time the team arrived in Paris, there was little hope that the uniforms would fit properly, let alone be delivered on time.
The lack of proper uniforms was not just a logistical oversight but also a source of embarrassment for Ardina and Pagdanganan.
They were forced to tape a Philippine flag patch onto their plain shirts each day, a solution that drew questions and comments from fellow competitors.
“Your flag is peeling off,” “You did not get uniforms?” and “That’s a lot of tapes” were just some of the remarks Ardina recalled hearing.
The situation was further compounded by the fact that the Philippines was the only one at the Olympics without proper uniforms.
Adding insult to injury, Ardina revealed that even the replacement shirts provided to them were ill-fitting and incorrectly stamped with the “PHI” logo, which was positioned beneath the collar and obscured from view.
The final blow came when they were given mismatched uniforms on the last day of the competition, with one shirt fitting only her teammate while Ardina had to wear the one she purchased herself.
The issue did not end with uniforms alone.
Ardina also pointed out that the team was not provided with essential gear such as golf balls, head covers, gloves, and umbrellas, leaving them to rely on their own resources.
“Walang nagawang tama,” she lamented, expressing her frustration over the lack of support from the POC and NGAP.
Despite these challenges, Ardina managed to perform admirably on the course, finishing with a to par-3, total of 285, which secured her a commendable 13th place in the competition.
Her focus in the face of adversity was evident, though she couldn’t help but feel that the experience could have been more positive with better support.
Ardina’s decision to speak out came after what she described as growing frustration and a lack of transparency from the officials involved.
Despite her respect for the media team accompanying them, she felt compelled to share her side of the story when no reports emerged that accurately reflected their struggles.
“Para na lang sa mga susunod pa sa amin. Para mas maayos ang kanilang Olympic experience,” Ardina said, hoping that her experience would lead to better treatment for future Filipino athletes.
In the face of criticism from some who believed that the issue of uniforms should not have been raised, Ardina stood firm, emphasizing that her concerns were not about the attire itself but about the respect and dignity of representing the Philippines on the world stage.
“Ang gusto ko lang naman po ay maayos at magmukhang presentable kami bilang atleta ng bayan at para din mataas ang tingin ng ibang bansa sa Pilipinas,” she asserted.
Ardina remains proud of her Olympic journey, albeit disappointed.
She continues to hope for change, not just for herself but for the generations of golfers who will follow in her footsteps.
